Uchiha's Secret
by PondOfStars
Summary: A mysterious girl who hides a secret feared by most, arrives in Konoha. Taka is also about to attack Konoha. Will the village be destroyed or can Naruto stop him? Who will die and who will live? Based on events already happened in Naruto. Slight Narusaku
1. An Unexpected Arrival

"Shut up and help, Naruto!" Sakura was tending to the "thing" Naruto tripped over, now revealed to be a person about their own age under the dimming light. Looking at the fallen ninja closely, she was a Konoha shinobi, judging by the battered forehead protector in her dirty, blood-encrusted hair. She was unconscious and covered in injuries, most of them minor, but there were a few deep cuts that were close to her heart. Whoever did this to the girl was cruel. She didn't seem to have teammates. Likely one-on-one combat.

"That cut looks bad. My first aid medical ninjutsu would be of little help in this situation. She needs proper care at the hospital!" exclaimed Sakura. Naruto agreed and together they eased her up and carried her, as fast as they can, to the makeshift hospital they set up after the Invasion of Pain.

Outside the tent hospital, Naruto and Sakura now sat, with the girl given to Tsunade for operation. Sakura had offered to help, but since it was a special day for her and Naruto, Tsunade had said reassuringly,"Leave it to me, Sakura." Naruto and Sakura started talking about the day's peculiar events in the dusk.

"Who is she?" wondered Naruto.

Sakura shook her head slowly. "I've never seen her before. She's not a member of ANBU or Root and in my entire life of being in Konoha I have never seen her," replied Sakura. "Anyways, Tsunade will find out. Besides, who cares, she's a Konoha ninja. Ninjas help ninjas, right?"

At that, Naruto clenched his fist. "What's wrong?" asked Sakura?

_Ninjas help ninjas, thought Naruto. I could have stopped Sasuke three years ago. I should have. I wasn't strong enough. I couldn't stop him._

----------Flashback--------

_"You will never understand! Because you never had parents to lose in the first place!"_

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_"I am willing to give my body a thousand times over for the death of Itachi."_

----------------End -----------------

"Naruto?" Sakura gave Naruto a light punch in the shoulder.

"Ohh, uh, nothing… who wants ramen?" Naruto gave a huge, hollow smile.

_He's doing it again, thought Sakura. Pretending to not care less in front of me. Why? Sakura asked silently. Why? Why do you try to protect me when it just makes me feel worse? Why can't you be yourself all the time?_

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Tent (ICU) 3

Tsunade removed the girl's cloak and turned her over, preparing for the operation. There, right on the back of her shirt, was a mark clear as day. Tsuade gasped in surprise. "Shes…" !!!

To Shizune she said, "Call a meeting with Kakashi, Guy, and Yamato, immediately! This is code violet!" Shizune, who at that moment was dozing slightly before the operation in a chair with the pig, dropped out of the chair at the sound of Tsunade's voice, and thinking she might have heard her wrong, said, "But it's late…" Their eyes met, Shizune dropped Tonton the pig, and started running swiftly out of ICU.

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Tsunade stood next to her desk, looking out of the broken glass to the sleeping Konohagakure. A very shocked group of Jounins stood before her. That is, Might Guy's jaw was literally hitting the floor, Yamato just looked plain surprised, and Kakashi yawned loudly. He was about to take out an Icha Icha book before a stern look from Tsunade stopped him. Yamato was the first to break the silence. "Like what I thought about Uchiha Madara, when it comes to the Uchiha clan, I am prepared to believe anything."

"I KNEW something like this would happen! I KNEW IT!!!!!" screamed Might Guy.

"Well, if you did, why didn't you inform us earlier something like this would be happening?" challenged Kakashi calmly.

Might Guy started turning a shade redder, but Tsunade interrupted before he could say anything. "The problem now, is what to do with her. That was why I called for this meeting. I didn't ask you all here so you can argue like a bunch of crazy baboons. I wanted your opinions on this… bizarre case."

Kakashi pondered for a moment, "It is confirmed that she _died_ 9 years ago?"

"Yes. Positive."

"Is it possible she is not who she seems to be?" wondered Guy.

"No. DNA tests match."

Guy pressed on, and said, "A transformed person?"

"No. Judging by her injuries, any jutsu that have been made on her would have released."

"Are there no other possibilities?"

"_No_."

"Can she be a kage bushin, or perhaps a ghost or maybe even–"

Tsunade slapped the table. Everyone flinched. Tsunade managed to break the desk in half. "She IS who she IS, Guy!" Tsunade has reached her limit for patience. Officially. Guy stopped talking at that moment, in fear of Tsunade's superior strength. An awful silence followed.

Yamato's voice was the first to break it. "Tsunade-sama, we should bring her in for questioning. We can tell by then if she is harmful or not to Konoha."

Tsunade weighed the suggestion in her head. After a while she nodded to herself and to Shizune she said, "Get the girl here, immediately."

"But… she's injured badly."

"Right. Then we will go to her in the hospital. Now."

"She is _unconscious_, she can't do anything. Why don't we wait? I'm sure Kakashi and the others would want some sleep first," said Shizune meekly, after seeing Kakashi launch into another huge yawn.

Tsunade pondered and looked at her subjects. They did seem tired all right. Maybe she was overreacting. Maybe she's getting old. Being hokage is tiring. "Fine. I want her room at maximum security. Bring her in when she regains consciousness and is able to physically walk."

Shizune started to argue, "But –"

"This is final!"

To be continued.

Sorry this chapter was a little boring. Well I had to finish how to introduce Mimiko to Konoha. Next chapter all the action will begin. I promise.

Next Chapter:

What happens at the meeting between mystery girl and Tsunade, Kakashi, Guy and Yamato? In the following chapters we learn more about Mimiko's past and her intentions of coming to Konoha. Stay tuned to see Naruto working on a new move, why Mimiko was "dead" and *finally* some Narusaku action.


	2. The Byakugan Sees

The girl opened her eyes. She was in a small bare room. She was covered with a white blanket. An IV connected to her pale hand on the bed. Bed? It had been a full 10 years since she had slept in a proper bed. Where was she?

"Mimiko, you have woken." Mimiko turned at the sound of the stern voice. The origin was a blonde lady who stood tall and fierce. Around her stood 3 grownup ninjas. Mimiko hadn't been surrounded by shinobi for a long time. _Am I in enemy hands? No, this is Konohagakure. Do they think – do they think, I'm a… a threat? I guess that's possible, since they DID want me dead 10 years ago. _The adults stood around her like she was some criminal. It was unnerving to see so many strange people, after she had lived in solitude for 10 years. She then realized they were waiting for her answer.

"… How do you know who I am?"

"Ah, we figured that out easily. The Fifth knew who you are the moment she saw your back. Your clothing was obvious. Too obvious."

She blushed, ever so slightly. "I always keep that covered. My cloak is never intended to come off."

"I see," said Tsunade briskly. "Do you mind telling us what happened? The full story, Miss Mimiko."

Mimiko narrowed her eyes. Konoha _did _order for her death 10 years ago after all. "Why should I trust you?"

"Because, we are the only ones that will help you for your own good," Tsunade said simply, her caramel eyes boring into Mimiko's deep black ones. Mimiko knew in her heart that was true. _If I don't take a chance now, I would be killed. I have no family. Danzou ordered for my death 10 years ago, but I can only hope these people are different. After all, I have no allies anymore._

Mimiko closed her eyes briefly, took a deep breath and began: "I have a message for Konoha. I have news on Akatsuki and Uchiha Madara."

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Noon. The Konoha 12 gathered in Tsunade's office. Naruto was almost sleeping while upright. Sakura held his ear at arm's length and punched him half awake. "Sakura-chan…" Naruto murmured. Tsunade ignored this.

"We have new information from a reliable source that Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Sasuke – " Naruto jerked, fully attentive now, and Sakura stopped trying to lecture him.

" – are working together." Some of the Konoha 12 were surprised. Some of them were expecting it, but they hadn't expected things would change so drastically and for Sasuke to turn almost into a monster.

"and their goal is to bring down Konoha," Tsunade finished. Naruto gritted his teeth, Sakura looked at Naruto with concern, and the rest of the Konoha 12 looked worried.

"That's very nice of Sasuke is it?" said Kiba sarcastically. Naruto clenched his fist so hard it cracked.

Shikamaru tried to make sense of it all. "Where was the information from?" he asked.

"From me," said Mimiko, stepping up behind the Fifth Hokage. The Konoha 12 surveyed her. Mimiko was around their own age, and deep black eyes that shone brightly, the entrance of an intelligient and active mind. She was a tall girl, but looked rather malnourished. Her hair, which had been covered by dirt and blood the other day, was long and black. Hair framed her face and she also had 2 thin strands of it right in front of her face, like Kiba's sister. The rest of her black hair was tied in a low ponytail. The girl had on a pale blue coat a few sizes too big for her, so that it covered almost every inch of her body. She wore a darker blue belt and light purple boots. A bamboo flute (dizi) hanged down her front. It was stringed and she put it around her neck like a necklace. Her hands, forehead, and whatever was exposed of her legs were wrapped in bandages. Mimiko's skin was pale, making her look even sicker.

A look of recognization appeared on Sakura, although not so much on Naruto. "You're – you're the girl we saved!" exclaimed Sakura.

"Yes, thank you." She bowed.

"It was her who brought the information to us. She heard a conversation between Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Sasuke. It's a wonder she survived to bring the message here."

"She will be staying with us for a while. She will be temporarily assigned to Team Guy starting tomorrow and her name for this period is Ayaka. Meeting dismissed."

The teams looked surprised. Tenten asked, "With us? But – "

"I will not answer any questions. This is final," said Tsunade. She turned her back to the shinobi.

Who is this Ayaka? thought Neji. Why is she so important that Tsunade has to keep her with us? For us to accept her as a comrade or for us to watch her? Perhaps Naruto and Gai-sensei will know more.

"Meanwhile, Shikamaru, I will see you after this meeting alone. I need you to think up a plan and make sense of this. You are the best leader out of these teams. With Konoha in ruins and my body and brains failing me, it is time for the next generation to take charge. She sighed audibly.

_Me to take charge? The Fifth is backing down? What is happening? _"Hai."

The teams began trickling out of the room, with Naruto and Sakura at mental unrest due to the new information about Sasuke.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," said Mimiko, now called Ayaka. She bowed deeply before starting to walk away.

"This will be best for you," said Tsunade. Ayaka paused, then continued walking. _Best for me? Or best for you to watch me? _Thought Ayaka._ Konoha still does not trust me. How can they, after I mysteriously disappeared and appeared again with sensitive information? To gain their trust is important, but before that – I have to visit Father and Mother. _Ayaka started in the direction of her family cemetery.

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Team Guy minus Guy and Ayaka, gathered in the woods of Konoha early the next day.

"Neji, Lee, come look at this!" called Tenten, gesturing to a clearing. Two kunai knives were attached to the ends of a thick rope. The knives were stabbed into two adjacent trees, thus stretching out the rope. On that rope was a perfectly balanced sleeping Ayaka, hands on the back of her head acting as a pillow.

"She sleeps with her coat on?" asked Neji, with a hint of amusement in his voice, noting Ayaka's attire. She looked the same as yesterday except that her coat was unbuttoned and inside were robes of lavender and violet, the latter being the pattern of simple but elegant floral designs. The robe had buttons like Tenten's and was lined with white satin trim.

A look of sudden realization washed over Lee's face. "OOOOHHH!!! Tsunade-sama assigned Ayaka-san to our team because she is strong, and sleeping like that must have something to do with it!" He produced a pen and notebook from nowhere and started with great power, to jot down his new findings.

Neji raised his eyebrow.

"Or, it could mean that she's terrible," said Tenten as Ayaka, who seemed to be peacefully sleeping one second, was falling to the ground another second.

"Mimi! Don't push me like that!" said Ayaka rather angrily. She rubbed her sore head.

Team Guy went open-mouthed. Nobody had pushed Ayaka out of her rope. "Maybe she's nuts," suggested Tenten.

Ayaka looked around suspiciously, buttoned up her coat, put on a pair of pitch black goggles, switched to a strange taijutsu stance that almost resembled Gentle Fist, and sent a kunai flying to Lee's position. The kunai exploded the second Lee deflected it back, sending ash raining down Team Guy. After the dust cleared, Ayaka disappeared only to appear again behind Team Guy with that strange taijutsu stance again. Her feet were in horse stance, her right arm was outstretched in front of her parallel to the floor with her hand swiveled to point upward at the sky with her palm facing the opponent. Her left arm stood by her side, bent at the elbow, palm to the sky and pointed straight ahead.

"Who are you?" came Ayaka's stern voice. Not wanting any more trouble, Lee jumped into the sun, pulling Neji and Tenten with him. "It's us."

"Oh, it's you guys. You should have said. Were you spying on me?" said Ayaka, quickly straightening up and taking off her goggles. She coughed slightly.

"No. We just happened to see you," said Tenten. "What are you doing in the woods anyway?"

"This is my home. I used to live like this far away from Konoha. Now that I'm back, I still like to live the way I did. After all, I'm broke. I can't exactly afford to live elsewhere."

"Your home? You sleep balancing on a rope?" asked Lee, more confused than ever.

"It's a type of taijutsu my brothers taught me," answered Ayaka calmly. "It focuses on meditation, balance and chakra control."

"So Ayaka-san, you train while you sleep too?" Lee jumped ahead. "What kind of taijutsu is that? Can you teach me?" asked Lee eagerly.

Ayaka's expression did not change. "If you want to, sure, although I doubt you will be able to learn that. It is a kekkei genkai." Lee lost enthusiasm as quickly as he obtained it.

"So," said Tenten, changing the subject, "would you like to train with us?"

"Sure," said Ayaka, putting on her goggles once more. "I'm ready."

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Naruto was walking down a former street of Konoha, now reduced to rubble, when Konohamaru jumped out behind some trash and prepared to ambush him.

They both looked at each other and for a moment, all stern and hard. Then, suddenly…

"Orioke no Jutsu!" Then, in the middle, Konohamaru stopped.

"What's wrong, Konohamaru?" asked Naruto, transforming back into himself.

"Naruto-niichan. You promised you would teach me a bigger Rasengan. He he… Could you teach me today?" asked Konohamaru sheeply.

"Oh? Sure, but not today. I have to join Shikamaru and the others are planning about what to do with this situation. And also what to do with Sasuke…" Naruto tightened his fist and looked away for a moment. Silence.

"Uhh… can I come?" said Konohamaru gingerly. Naruto nodded, and the two left for Shikamaru's tent.

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"Katon: Spirit Dragon Demon!" yelled Ayaka as flames engulfed Lee and about 100 trees surrounding him, frying him into a cooked onion. Ayaka quickly suppressed the flames and went to Lee's aid.

"Lee, you should really just stop," remarked Neji with an almost comical tone in his voice. Tenten worked hard to hide her giggles.

"Lee, are you alright?" asked Ayaka, helping Lee up. "Neji is right, we should at least take a break."

"No, I must learn how to evade fire jutsu like that!" said Lee. "Thank you for helping me, Ayaka-san. One more time!" He stood up, and then almost immediately fell again. Ayaka eased him against a half burnt tree.

"You can barely stand, Lee. I refuse to cooperate if you self destruct like this!"

"Please, one more time. Just once."

"Okay. Think about how to react to it." Ayaka closed her eyes for a second. She disappeared. "Spirit Style: Fire Dragon Release!" Flaming hail rained upon Lee. Lee quickly dodged each one. _Concentrate. Find her, _thought Lee. The hail stopped. Ayaka was nowhere to be seen.

"Ayaka-san?" asked Lee, panting. "Oh no! I forgot that she was injured! We have to find her!"

"Byakugan!" Neji surveyed the surrounding area. He caught a glimpse of Ayaka half a kilometer away resting upon a tree. _She went that far in such a short amount of time?_ Ayaka coughed up some blood. _Injured too. She's strong._ Ayaka raised her head. Neji caught a glimpse of her face. He gasped audibly. _No… this can't be… How can she be alive?_

"What is it?" asked Lee concernedly, mistaking the gasp for the indication that Ayaka was hurt. "Where is she?"

"Half a kilometer southwest of here. She's coughing up some blood, but she seems to be fine otherwise."

Lee immediately set off to find Ayaka. Tenten started to follow, then stopped. "Is something wrong, Neji?"

Neji forced his expression to soften. "No, everything's fine." He leapt to the direction Lee went. Tenten followed, unconvinced. By the time they arrived, Lee was next to Ayaka, helping her cough out all the blood.

"How- how … did… you…" Ayaka collapsed into a series of coughs.

"Neji found you with his Byakugan," said Lee.

Ayaka looked at Neji with strange, almost scared eyes. Neji's face was hard, unlike the relaxed expression he had on earlier in the training session. _So he knows._ "Let's call it a day. I would like to rest if possible."

Lee and Tenten agreed. They carried her to her little camp. Lee and Tenten started in the direction of Konoha. "Aren't you going to come?" asked Tenten to Neji, who stood staring at Ayaka.

"I'm just going to talk to Ayaka for a minute," replied Neji. "Go ahead without me."

"Well don't take too long!"

Neji waited for the others to be gone completely. Their footsteps could no longer be heard. Neither Ayaka nor Neji said anything. A slight breeze picked up. Leaves rained upon them. Ayaka closed her eyes.

"What is the meaning of this?" said Neji finally.

Comments:

I lied about the Narusaku moment. This chapter stretched out more than I had planned. Well hopefully I can get it into the next chapter. To know who Ayaka is, what Neji has seen, and what the Konoha 12 will do with Sasuke and Madara, keep reading! Thanks for bearing with me and PLEASE REVIEW!!!


	3. A Bend In The Road

Ayaka looked down. "Why are you alive, Ayaka? Wait, that's not even your name. What is your real name? Why are you afraid to reveal your real name?"

Ayaka closed her eyes. She was tired. Tired of telling lies. Tired of never knowing what tomorrow would be. Tired of being scared of death. It was time to tell someone. Hell, she didn't care anymore. She was never meant to live anyways. Gambling on her life once again, she said, "I- I have a strange power. I can… resurrect people from the dead."

_Resurrect people? What is she talking about?_ Thought Neji, his eyes narrowing.

"It's not like Orochimaru's jutsu. The spirits I resurrect are like people or animals I summon. They can battle alongside me or they can just be there and talk to me. They have their own free will and they return to where they came from afterwards. Naturally, due to my strange power to separate my spiritual energy and use it to such an extent, people were scared. At first they thanked me for resurrecting the dead, bringing their loved ones back to life even if it was for a tiny amount of time. Then they started to fear that I would raise a rebellion with my clan to try and take over Konoha. They viewed me as nothing but a monster that should be feared." She paused to take a breath. "Even my own clan didn't accept me. They only saw me as an excellent battle machine, because the spirits I summon can perform whatever jutsu they could when they were still alive. Once I told them my spirits had free will, they started to despise me. People didn't want past ties and feuds to come back to them. To them, the dead were something to be honoured and forgotten. When I was 6 years old, my clan head ordered my parents to seal my powers in a month or I would be killed. So…I fled. That was why I was afraid of Konoha, afraid of the people here, that they would want me to be killed once again. That is also the reason why I try not to use my powers unless I really need to."

"Do you know that your family is dead?"

Ayaka's expression turned solemn. Her family was important to her. Mom, Dad, her niisan and younger brother… "I knew that a long time ago," she said. "My parents or my brothers would come and visit me every now and then. One day they stopped coming. Then I found them in the spirit world and knew they were dead."

"So- so you can talk to dead people? How?" asked Neji. Being the natural genius he was, convincing him would take more than just that.

"In my sleep or when I meditate. Those are the times when my spirit kind of… leaves my body and I can communicate to the dead. It's almost like I'm dead half the time. I've met a lot of the deceased Konoha ninja, including the Hokages, and… and your father."

Neji was shocked. "My…my father?" He was speechless. _Neji, calm down. She could always be lying. Don't overreact._ "Why should I believe you?"

Ayaka gave a little sigh. "I knew you would ask that. A genius like you won't believe simply words." Ayaka stood up, leaning against the tree for support. She suppressed a cough and stood up tall. She molded all the chakra she would muster at that moment. "Spirit Style: Human Resurrect Jutsu!" A puff of smoke appeared beside her.

"So we meet again, Miss Mimiko," said the summoned spirit once the smoke cleared slightly.

Neji's mouth opened, and then closed again. This was a voice he would never forget. "Father?!"

"As we promised, Hizashi-san…that I would bring you to see your son when I meet him," said Ayaka.

Hizashi turned to face Neji. He hadn't aged since the day of his death. The Curse Mark that he had once despised so much was gone. Hizashi was young, clean and content. He seemed peaceful at last. "Neji. I never thought I could see you again."

Ayaka turned away. This was their private reunion. She shouldn't be part of this. Now, where was her rope bed? Meditation would help with her wounds.

"Father… are you…"

"Real?" Hizashi smiled. "As Mimiko puts it, more than a ghost, less than a human."

Neji tried to touch him. Hizashi was solid, and his body was surrounded with a faint glow. "I heard you've given my brother quite a headache a few years ago. I'm glad you sorted it out yourself. You're almost a man now. I'm proud of you, Neji. You've grown to become a real Hyuuga."

"How do you know all this?" asked Neji.

"You've got Mimiko to thank, for opening the passage between the spirit world and the mortal world," said Hizashi with a smile.

"So her name is Mimiko?"

"Ah right, she told me yesterday her codename is Ayaka. I guess I forgot. But yes, her real name is Mimiko. There would be no harm in telling you that," said Hizashi thoughtfully.

Neji nodded. The rest of the afternoon passed like a dream for him. He vaguely remembered sitting down with his dad and having a heart-to-heart talk about all these years, then his father had to leave because Ayaka was out of spirit energy. After that he recalled Tenten dragging him with Ayaka to the meeting with Shikamaru. Life was a blur after seeing his father.

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Shikamaru and his team, Team 8, Lee, Tenten, and Sai sat in the middle of a tent, heads together, discussing. Shikamaru was at the middle. Neji and Ayaka walked in. Heads turned.

"You're here," Shikamaru said simply, acknowledging their appearance, with a bored expression as usual.

"So you are the girl that Naruto and Sakura saved," said Ino, looking Ayaka over head to toe appraisingly.

Ayaka wasn't used to this. "Uh… yes."

"Why didn't I see you in Konoha before?" asked Ino, as nosy as ever.

"Well… I… my family moved to a village far away."

"Why? The Hidden Leaf is for ninjas," Ino pressed on.

"My parents did not wish to threaten their lives any further after an unfortunate incident that happened some years ago," said Ayaka automatically. _Miko… thanks! You're the best! _Ayaka thought.A faint voice in her head replied "_Don't thank me, thank Mimi. You know she's a natural at lies." "Yes, thank meeee," _Mimi laughed a little in Mimiko's head.

"How can you be so thin?" asked Ino as she made a mental evaluation of Ayaka.

"I didn't exactly have a balanced diet out in the wilderness. It's not really a good thing."

"Why? But—"

Just as she said that, Naruto burst in with Konohamaru. _Saved, _thought Ayaka_._

"What's up?!" said Naruto excitedly.

"You're unbelievably cheerful today, Naruto," remarked Kiba.

That reminded Naruto of Sasuke, and he instantly slumped down, seeming to become sad, then angry, then sad again. This wide display of emotions in a 3 second period is, after all, something that only Naruto can do. Mimi snorted slightly in Ayaka's head.

"Shut up!" Ayaka said aloud. The others looked at her slightly confused. "Err…nothing. It's just…I got distracted…that's all." "_People laugh when they are embarrassed, dammit!" _ A voice in her head said. _Oh right… _Ayaka fake laughed embarrassedly. It sounded genuine.

_What a strange girl, _thought Shikamaru, as he looked at her, _but then again, all women are troublesome… so I wouldn't be surprised._

Sakura walked into the tent looking slightly depressed.

"Sakura-chan. Why are you so late?" asked Naruto, trying his best to perk up for her. _Smile, smile… _

"Sakura-neechan!" Konohamaru ran to her. "What's up, Sakura-neechan? Can you teach me how to do that punch of yours? Please? Please?"

Sakura didn't acknowledge Naruto's or Konohamaru's greeting. "Sasuke-kun has… attacked Sunagakure," she said finally.

Silence.

"That was nice of him," Kiba finally spat, the words like a bad taste in his mouth he needed to get rid of. Akamaru barked angrily in agreement.

"Tsunade-sama… told me to give this to you, Shikamaru." Sakura handed Shikamaru a piece of paper.

"What is it?" asked Neji.

Shikamaru skimmed it over quickly. "Gaara sent information about Sasuke and his team's attacks. As troublesome as it is, I'll need to look this over."

"We have to do something!" demanded Naruto. "We can't just sit here like idiots and watch Sasuke destroy his life!"

"Actually, it's Sasuke destroying the lives of others. He himself seems to be having a fine time," mused Ayaka, almost to herself.

"Shut up! You don't know a thing – " Naruto bellowed. He was really touchy when reaching the subject of Sasuke's betrayal.

"Yes I do, Naruto!" Ayaka interrupted. "Remember when Tsunade-sama announced the news about Sasuke and Madara's plans? Well, guess what, I was the source! I saw them talking and was nearly killed because of that!" Ayaka fired back. "Dead shinobi tell no tales," she said quietly, refusing to say "men" because she knew Mimi was very sensitive about that.

"What?!" Naruto froze, slumping over. _Sasuke… you've changed so much. I don't think I even know you anymore…!_ "But still, Shikamaru, think of something. I need to do something."

Shikamaru thought for a minute, his tremendous intelligence taking over and guiding him over the choices he had. After a moment, he spoke, "Unfortunately, Naruto, I will need to take this information and analyze it. When I come up with the decision and the plan I will definitely let you know. But before then, and before we know more information about the situation, we can only train more."

"But – " Naruto protested.

"As troublesome as it is, I'm willing to do it for the future on Konoha. If you go yelling around like you do… maybe I won't do it."

Naruto's expression instantly changed from a worked up one to a pleading one. "I'll…"

Sakura punched Naruto in the stomach. _He's the only ninja who can have such a big mood change in less than a second, _Inner Sakura laughed_. _To Naruto, Sakura said, "Be quiet, baka!"

"We'll go now, okay?" Sakura pulled Naruto out of the tent swiftly by the ear, to avoid any more trouble. She sighed. When was Naruto ever going to grow up? But then again, Naruto was fun this way. She would rather not admit it, but she had grown fond of Naruto's funny antics. Would she miss them if Naruto changed? Maybe, but she'd rather not think about it.

Ayaka watched rather amused at the drama. _What an interesting relationship they have, _mused Mimi_. _Ayaka closed her eyes. She didn't care that much. At least, she was alive, and that's really all that mattered at that moment. _Another day survived, _she sighed wearily.

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Naruto was training his sage chakra on a tree.

"Naruto," said Sakura, meeting Naruto after her training session with Tsunade ended.

Naruto stopped in the middle of sage chakra gathering, startled. He fell off the tree he had been sitting on. "Ouch! Sakura-chan! You startled me."

Sakura grew serious. "About the thing with Sasuke-kun and Sunagakure…"

"I'll bring him back for sure!" said Naruto immediately. "Don't doubt me." He flashed a wide smile confidently, but deep inside he had no idea how he was going to accomplish such a task.

"I don't doubt you…" said Sakura softly, "It's just that… Sasuke is not _our_ Sasuke-kun anymore. Even if you are strong enough to drag Sasuke-kun back to Konoha, he is still going to try to destroy Konoha."

"Then… I'll just have to think of a way to stop him and bring him back!" said Naruto.

Sakura smiled a little sadly, "Naruto… you don't get it. The others and Shikamaru are right. If Sasuke-kun cannot be stopped, the concequences are much bigger than any of us can carry. This is no longer simply between you and Sasuke-kun, or about the Konoha 12. It affects all the hidden villages, the entire shinobi world and the future of all the countries. You just have to realize that we can't have things both ways."

"Sakura-chan… I thought you… wanted Sasuke back. I promised…" Naruto looked confusedly at Sakura. He seemed lost, like a little child placed in the world of hatred.

"There are promises that can't be kept… And right now I don't want you keep it! It's impossible!" Sakura tried to reason with her blond teammate, her moral support all along. "People change," she said softly.

Naruto looked down at his feet. Sasuke… his best friend… a monster? "I… still can't."

"But Sasuke-kun can to you! He will kill you! The lives of Jiraiya, the Third, the Uchiha clan and your father were killed by Akatsuki and pure evil. I… I don't want you to die!" Sakura burst out.

"I won't die, Sakura-chan, not before I become hokage!" argued Naruto, but then he saw the fierce and serious expression on Sakura's face. He gave in. "Let me think about it," he said solemnly.

"Naruto…"

At that moment Lee, literally, flew out of the woods, his hair all scorched. He landed 10 feet away from Naruto and Sakura. "Lee!" They rushed to him.

"So… strong…" muttered Lee.

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**Note to readers:**

**This chapter was slightly boring, I admit. Well there has to be a buildup to everything, right? As well this is only chapter 3 people! So a lot more action planned. To learn more about Ayaka, "Miko", "Mimi", as well as the teams learning new jutsu, new romance moments (I'll try to add a few, even though I'm not one of those pure romance writers), keep reading!**


	4. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, sadly. If I did Jiraiya wouldn't be dead and Suigetsu wouldn't have the freaky spiky teeth.

**Note: I'm gonna try and upload as fast as I can, although I don't know how much I can write after school resumes. Let's hope my !$#% homework doesn't rob me of too much time!  
**

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History is made all the time. The final battle between Naruto and Sasuke was much anticipated and had finally arrived. The result had changed the history of the ninja world forever. Naruto, the Kyuubi jinchuuriki of Konoha and Sasuke, the survivor of the Uchiha clan and the leader of Akatsuki-affiliated Taka would face each other, again. It was always them. One could almost see their figures, frozen in time, fighting once again. Always rivals, but somehow, looking deeper, friendship can always be found between them. But was it friendship of the past? Or friendship of the present and future? Naruto, who never budged in his determination to bring Sasuke back to his senses, had done so much training for his only goal – to bring Sasuke back to Konoha. Call it a naïve little dream, but nobody had fully understood the bond between Naruto and Sasuke, save maybe Sakura. This battle, so important to Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura and the rest of the ninja world, could either bring Naruto a step closer to his ideal world or bring him to utter defeat.

**_Thump. Thump. Thump._**

_Naruto's heart pumped determinedly on the makeshift bed despite his severe injuries. No doubt it was in part due to the Kyuubi's chakra. The kyuubi had been taken on quite an exercise during the battle, but this chakra monster, now back inside of Naruto, grants the blond shinobi alarmingly fast regeneration rates. Naruto's bravery and guts had changed pretty much everything. He is not your typical ninja, after all. The Kyuubi j__inchuuriki of Konohagakure, whose dream is to become to hokage, his will and determination had saved his loved ones on more than one occasion__. Sasuke had attempted to kill everyone in Konoha, and Naruto had stood up against him. It is hard to face against an enemy, but even harder against a friend, especially one that has been through so much with Naruto._

**_Thump. Thump. Thump._**

_Naruto's eyes started to flicker. Sakura sighed. He would soon wake and start demanding for his ramen. Naruto was recovering from his comatose state slowly, by being awake a little more time everyday. The days without Naruto was unusual and Sakura had experienced an aching lack for the blond ninja's unpredictable he'll be up and running all around, like before, like nothing had ever happened. But something did happen. It couldn't be denied._

_Thumpp… … thump thump…thump._

_Sakura looked at a vegetative girl and sighed a little. Her dying heart, unlike Naruto's, struggled to maintain life in a final, futile attempt. The once lively, determined girl that had stumbled across Konoha was now reduced to a mere lifeless body. The weak, irregular heartbeat on the ECG being the only indication that she was indeed, alive. That small girl, who lay there weak and dying, was, in a way, just like any other girl. However she was born to possess a power that she tried her entire life to hide. The girl muttered something intelligible in her sleep. She was always mumbling something. She had kept quiet for so long that talking was felt like almost a need to compensate for her years of silence and solitude. This girl, who was no stronger than any other ninja, but with a history so sad and determination so strong, she managed to do what mattered the most, in the end, for a price._

_This small girl, however insignificant, left a mark on the history of Konoha the day Naruto and Sakura had stumbled upon her, wounded and in terrible heath._

**_She is… a true ninja._**

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It was the 3rd anniversary of Sasuke's leaving. The sun was setting in the west, giving everything an orange glow. The shadows of two Konoha ninja stood out long and thin.

A blond haired ninja, with clothing that looked more orange than ever in the sunset, looked onwards, sitting on a cliff in the outskirts of Konoha with his pink-haired teammate.

"Sakura-chan?"

Sakura looked up. Naruto was so grown up these days. It seemed just yesterday that he was shooting out the Sexy Technique at his teachers back at the academy. Like yesterday it was, the laughter, tears, danger, and harsh training Team 7 shared together. They were all there too. Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke…

"Sakura-chan, I promised to you, I will bring Sasuke back. We have come this far, I believe we can do it. There will be a day when we will bring Sasuke back. Now that Pain is out of the way, we're one step closer to Sasuke!" Naruto said determinedly. Sakura gave a little smile in return.

"We'll bring him back together. I have faith in you, Naruto."

Naruto looked back into the distance. They peered far into the horizon. Into the unknown. Into where Sasuke is.

Naruto brushed off leaves from his pants, and stood up. "Well then, Sakura-chan, we'd better get going. Dinner at Ichiraku's!! Then, we need a good night sleep for tomorrow's training."

The mood shifted. Sakura smiled fondly back at Naruto. "I though Ichiraku's was destroyed in the Invasion."

"Yes the store was destroyed, but Ichiraku ramen survives!" replied Naruto with excitement.

"Hmmm..." Sakura pretended to ponder for a second, "only if you're paying though," Sakura said jokingly.

Naruto's face went a shade paler, and consulted his frog wallet. _There seems to be enough… but this will be pushing it…_

Sakura, seeing Naruto's reaction, muffled a few snickers. "No, I'm kidding, I'll pay for half."

"ALL RIGHT!!!!!!!!" Naruto started to run in the direction of ramen. Sakura followed Naruto back to Konoha. No, it was more like Naruto running at his full limit to the ramen shop and dragging his pink haired teammate who was hanging on for dear life.

Call it carelessness, or call it fate, but little did Naruto know his clumsy ways will change the future forever...

"WAAAHHHH…" Naruto shouted out as he tripped, bringing Sakura with him. Naruto hit the ground with a bang, planting himself headfirst into the earth, but Sakura used a hand to support herself at the last moment and gracefully got up to standing position "S-sa-kkura-chhaaan…" Naruto mumbled, face down. Sakura, on the other hand, wasn't paying attention. Her attention was focused on the "thing" naruto tripped over, now could be seen as a person. Unconscious. Injured. Badly.

To be continued…

Next Chapter Sneek Peek:

Who is this mysterious person that appeared injured on the anniversary of Sasuke's disappearance? Friend or foe of Konoha? Enter Mimiko, an OC, but she is more than she seems to be.


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